Crater Lake National Park Oregon

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake

Beyond the Lake

As with many National Parks, Crater Lake is founded around one central natural object, in this case, that Big Hole filled with water and some Large Rocks. But as with other parks, there are many side “attractions” in the Park as well. This is certainly true for Crater Lake.

The first side attraction is the vegetation surrounding the lake, especially when its color is contrasted with the color of the lake. Because of the large amount of moisture the area receives in the winter, much of the vegetation receives at one time or another in its life, a healthy coating of lichens and mosses, and even some “Old Man’s Beard” (kind of a Pacific Northwest version of “Spanish Moss”). Particularly when these plants are highlighted against the deep blue of the lake, the result is quite stunning.

And then there are attractions just above the lake itself, on the walls of the Crater, I mean Caldera, I mean Big Hole. The rocks come in many hues as a result of their formation as a result of many separate volcanic actions. One of the walls (the one pictured) is even more unusual, because while part of it has eroded away, part of it, composed of a slightly harder rock than the rest has remained. The resulting rock formation, called “Pumice Castle” is quite stunning.

Going just a little beyond the lake, there is a peak which, it is believed was once part of the original Mount Mazama. This residue has been given the name Mt. Scott. It’s peak represents the highest point in the park. Further, its north side is beginning to take on the characteristics of a special type of rock formation, a “Cirque.” We had seen several Cirque’s a few years ago in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the resemblance of the two rock formations is striking. For the record, a Cirque is a valley formed on a mountainside by glaciers. The ones we saw at Rocky Mountain National Park were considered fully formed, this one is considered a "Cirque in the making." You will note in this shot in the mid right hand side of the picture, you can still see snow, and this is the end of August. Thus, this is definitely a glacier at work.

The other attraction we saw was an area about 7 miles to the south of the rim drive which circles “the Big Hole.” This area is called “The Pinnacles.” They are a series of rock formations caused when plumes of vapors from vents beneath the earth, called fumaroles, poured out ash. Over the ages, as the forces of erosion worked on the land, most of the ash was removed, except for that portion around the vent which had hardened by its close contact with the heat from beneath the earth. The residue of this erosion has become known as "The Pinnacles." While they are a little way off the beaten path, they are well worth the drive out to see.

Crater Lake National Park Oregon

Journey to a Land of Water Wind and Fire

Part C: Crater Lake

And the Company it Keeps

Enough of cute cuddly Manatees and garish Christmas lights! Let us return to Oregon, and more particularly Crater Lake (which is no doubt covered with snow by now).

When last I posted anything about our big trip this year, you will remember we had decided that what is called Crater Lake was a Big Hole filled with water and it had some Big Rocks in it.

Well, today’s posting wants you to know there are not only big rocks in it, they are all around it as well. And these rocks, mostly the mountain peaks, reminded me, that for all the beauty of this place, it had a very violent beginning. But I get ahead of myself. Let us go back to my beginning at this place, coming in through the Cascade Mountain Range.

Our first sight in the park was not of water, or rocks or anything like that. It was of a desert area covered with the leavings of volcanism. It was called the Pumice Desert. And it lay along both sides of the road for several miles. A barren wasteland that reminded me, to an extent, of the devastation I had seen at Mount St. Helen’s in Washington in 2004.

And everywhere one looked, one saw volcanic peaks jutting skyward. Thus we knew we were in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range. Or as I like to call it, the "Land of the Pointed Peaks."

Now, once we had gotten our first look at the lake, and ventured on around to the visitor’s center we began to learn a bit more about how all this got started. We heard about a Mount Mazama. It was a large, many peaked affair, and one day it got mad and blew up (well, that is not the scientific version, but I have warned you in the past about the lack of science on this site, and the version I have just presented is more closely allied with the Native American descriptions about what happened). And it left this Big Hole that filled with water.

Of course, not all the mountain disappeared, there were a few remnants left. One of these remnants, Garfield Peak, is pictured here.

And once the fire and smoke and all were through, things began to get back to normal. Meadows once more grew and gave forth with not only greenery, but also with pretty wildflowers.

And snow fell (and in this case stuck around to the end of August). And yes, things became a bit more normal. So normal, that in the course of time, a National Park was created out of the human curiosity surrounding the place. And everywhere you looked you saw grass, trees, humans, cars, campers, etc. etc.

But still, you are left with the question, for how long will this quiet, peaceful beauty last?

Charleston West Virginia

Getting Ready for Christmas

Those of you who are “avid” followers (all two or three of you) of this site may have noticed that I added a new link over in the sidebar a few weeks ago. This is purely a seasonal link which will disappear in January.

The link is to a site I discovered last January, which decries what has happened to the celebration of the Christmas season. I invite you to click on it and see what is displayed for this year.

Above is just one example from our “neck of the woods.” There are several others, including one that is not only bad, it extends over 4 adjacent yards. It looks like the neighbors have all gotten together and made tackiness a neighborhood “virtue.” I do not have a picture of it yet (though A. wants me to get one).

On our recent visit to Florida we visited Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville Beach on the first Sunday in Advent. Finally a church has picked up on this theme, as the entire front altar area was literally jam packed with tacky yard decorations (including Santa with sunglasses in a sleigh and holding a pink flamingo). During the service, several of the speakers apologized for the display and went out of their way to say that they were making a point. They promised the parishioners, that as the weeks of Advent went by, the tacky stuff would be removed gradually.

It did my heart good to see that someone in the church is finally beginning to recognize what new abuse our society has heaped upon this holy day.

Deland Florida

Blue Spring State Park

A Visit to the Manatees

I am taking a break from our Journey to the Land of Water Wind and Fire, to bring you an update on our latest journey. We were in Florida for the Thanksgiving Holiday. While there, I decided I was going to do something I have wanted to do for a long time, see some Manatees "in the wild." I had seen them at Walt Disney World when we visited there back in 2000. But I had never really seen them, in their "element."


We had de-trained in Jacksonville and rented a car. After making a few visits there, we turned toward Lakeland. In the process, we made the decision to stop at Blue Spring State Park. I knew from what I had read that Blue Spring was home to a lot of Manatees in the winter, and so I was hoping for cool weather early on. As those of you who are regular readers will remember, my Wooly Worm predictor said it would turn cool early. And by golly, he was right. I checked on the Internet the day before we left and found that the Park Superintendent had posted a notice that the cool weather had brought the Manatees into the spring area. And so, it was decided, DeLand, and Blue Spring State Park here we come!


When we arrived at the park, the Ranger at the gate confirmed that they had approximately 144 Manatees in the spring at this time. He also told us where to go to see them. And so we were off.

And, yes, we saw the Manatees.

But we also saw something else, something very disturbing. Many of them, indeed once I scanned them with my binoculars, most of them, bore scars and gashes from "boating accidents." The white splotch on the mother manatee in this picture is just one example of what I saw on most of the Manatees I viewed.



Now, I know that the state of Florida has made an "attempt" to cure this problem. Indeed, I have seen signs of their attempt in many places.





But folks, I am sorry to say, that at least for the population of St. John's River Manatees that I saw at Blue Spring in November of 2008, the attempt is not working. Instead of seeing a population of healthy animals, I saw instead a collection of what we used to call in the service "the walking wounded."


Now, I do not know what needs to be done. More signs? Maybe, but I doubt it? More vigalent enforcement of existing laws (how about hiring more enforcement staff for the Fish and Wildlife Department?), maybe. Posting more areas as being completely off limits (what good would that do without increased enforcement staff?)?


I don't know. But I do know that something needs to be done. What has been tried so far is not working.